The Nigerian Economic Summit Group(NESG) has commended Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on his coordination of Ease of Doing Business reforms which produced great results.Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the Chairman of the NESG Board, Mr Asue Ighodalo, led a delegation of the group on a courtesy visit to the vice president at the Presidential Villa.
The visit comes ahead of the forthcoming Nigerian Economic Summit(NES) an annual event where the public and private sector stakeholders deliberate on developmental issues.
Asue reiterated the commitment of the group to collaborate more with the public sector and expressed optimism that despite the challenges.
“You have done a fantastic job on ease of doing business, regardless of the challenges that we are confronted with today.
“This government can still do much more before it leaves.
“At the NESG, we believe that the next six months are very critical,” he said.
The 28th NESG will feature President Muhammadu Buhari, the vice president and other leaders from the public and private sectors, sharing thoughts on visionary leadership and inclusive growth, among other topics.
The NESG team briefed the vice president on the agenda, particularly the theme of the 28th NES, ‘2023 and Beyond: Priorities for Shared Prosperity’, scheduled for Nov. 14 to Nov. 15.
In his response, Osinbajo told the delegation that there was need to discuss few pressing national issues and immediate things with significance for the future.
“I am always concerned we don’t allow very many issues to obscure the more important issues that confront us today so that we leave the summit with a clearer view on how we can resolve the pressing issues.
“For example, how do we tackle the rising inflation and the exchange rate instability?
“I really think we should spend more time focusing on the primary issues of inflation and exchange rate control.
“It is very important to always note what you (private sector experts) think are the main concerns today especially about macroeconomics and how to deal with the issues.
” What the private sector thinks about how we can resolve some of these issues is important.”
He acknowledged the contributions of the NESG to economic development over the years.
The vice president said that he strongly believed in the objectives of the NE8SG as it had contributed a lot to how the public sector thought through policies and had provided that forum for public sector accountability.
“The NESG has also been very useful in educating the private sector about the processes of running a complex system such as the one that we have.
” It has been a very useful synergy between the public and the private sector,” he said.
Other members of the NESG delegation included its Chief Executive Officer,Mr Laoye Jaiyeola, Member, NESG Board, Mr Nnanna Ude, Co-Chair (Public Sector) – 28th NES Joint Planning Committee, Mr Felix Okonkwo, and Co-Chair (Private Sector), 28th NES Joint Planning Committee, Mrs Ijeoma Taylaur.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 28th NES with theme: 2023&Beyond: Priorities for Sared Prosperity opens in Abuja on Nov. 14.
The NES is an annual event that is jointly organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and the Ministry of Budget & National Planning Commission in close collaboration with relevant institutions in the public and private sector.
NAN reports that the summit, which was initiated in 1993 by the Chief Ernest Shonekan-led Interim National Government, has remained the foremost platform for dialogue between the public and private sector to discuss issues and challenges facing the development of our country, with a view to developing and harmonizing common strategies for addressing them.
It aims at fostering open and continuous dialogue on Nigeria’s economic development.
The summit brings together chief executives/top level operators from the private sector and very senior Government officials to discuss how best to develop the Nigerian economy and monitor the implementation of government policies, programmes and projects.
The summit focuses on developing the short to medium term policy direction for the country in line with the national interest, while taking cognisance of the evolving global economy.
